By William E. Coleman Ph.D., Vice President Technology, Photo Stencil, Colorado Springs, COThe very small form factor of today's QFNs (quad flatpack, no leads), DFNs (dual flatpack, no leads), and µBGAs allows for smaller packages, and thus smaller electronic devices with more overall functionality, especially in the newer mobile devices. QFNs stand out because they provide better grounding and better heat sink thermal properties compared to other SMT packages. Most QFNs have a metal pad on the underside for grounding and heat conduction. DFNs have a...

By Dave Rohona, Marketing Manager, and Roxanne Richardson, Technical Documentation Specialist, Data I/O, Redmond, WAHuman error. It's always lurking there in the shadows, ready to reach in when a library file for a programmable device is selected. Pick the wrong one, and you may end up with a mistake that can cost the company millions of dollars. It has happened, and sadly not just once or twice ...

By Robert A. Boguski, Jr., President, Datest, Fremont, CA Bonepiles. Everybody's got them. They're collections of PCB assemblies that are defective and can't be rescued. In today's fast-paced, production-oriented, revenue-driven environment, when an assembled board is deemed unrepairable, it frequently is written off and placed into a "bonepile ...

By Mark Currie, Ph.D., Henkel Electronic Materials LLCThough there is no official, government-mandated requirement forcing the production of halogen-free products and, therefore, the use of halogen-free materials, the electronics industry has arguably moved in that direction. This industry-sponsored effort is being driven primarily by ...

By Dale Lillard, President, Lansdale Semiconductor, Phoenix, AZ Our all-volunteer military is in daily mortal danger — not necessarily from terrorists, roadside bombs or combat — but from trusted electronic equipment that may suddenly fail for no discernible reason. Yet we know the probable reason: counterfeit parts that somehow had made their ...

By Joseph Federico, Vice President, Director of Operations, NJ Micro Electronic Testing, Clifton, NJIn recent years counterfeit parts have become an increasing problem in every industry that uses electronic components. Compounding these problems, it is increasingly difficult to know the true source of the purchased components. Because of both the quality and sophistication of many ...